Stringed musical instrument



July 24, 1928.

C. L. DEWEY STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2' Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed D60. 10, 1926 (70 @706 i Dew/e July '24, 1928. 1,678,136

I c. L. DEWEY STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6? rev A. Dewey Patented July 24, 1928. I p

j UNITED STATES PATENT erri-on.

CLARENCE L. DEWEYg-OF ELKHART, INDIANA, A S SIGNOR'. TO OUTINGMANUFACTUR- 'ING CO., A CORPORATION 'OF- INDIANA.

s'rnmenn MUSICAL rnsrnuitrnn'r.

Application filed December 10,1926. Serial No. 153,752.

This invention relates to'musical instru- This invention (in a preferred form) is ments, and more particularly to a'string 1nillustrated in the drawings and hereinafter strument of the ukulele or ban o type or that more fully described.

t e of musical instrument requir ng 'a On the drawings:

5 stretched skinhead such as 'asnare drumor Figure lis a top plan viewof a string inthe like. The invention pertainsimore di- 'stru'ment embodying the" principlespf "this 60 rectly to improved instrument top" members invention. I and retaining rings adapted to interfit with Figure 2 is a 'lt'ragmentary bottom vplan one another to permit .headsto' be secured in View thereof. I I

position when dry without necessitatingpre- Figure 3 is an enlargedlongitudi-nal secvious forming thereof on special "fixtures tion of the instrument taken on the line 5 when the heads are'wet as has been the cus- III-JII' Of Figure 1. tom heretofore. Figure 4 isan enlargedfragmentary de- It is an-objectof this invention to provide tail section taken'on line IV-IV ofFigan instrument of the skinhead type having lfe'; i i

' an improved top member and ring so co r "Figure 51s a top planviewof a modified structed that a skinhead maybe stretched form of string instrument embodying the i into position dry without previous forming. principles or this invention.

It is also an object oi this. invention to Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section 2 provide a musical instrument having a ot the instrumenttaken o'n" I eV-L-VI of grooved top member adapted to be securely Flgtire 5, with parts omitted. I pressed into position upon an instrument Frgure7 isa reduced sectiontakenon line body with said top provided with nuts rrig- V I-I -VIIoi Figure 6. g I idly secured in position at spaced intervals Figure 8 is a tragmentary"detail section 2 for the purpose of receiving adjustable of the top memberillustratingthekey hole screws which serve to hold a retaining'ring "slots forreceiving'thestrings. v

in position interfitting said top member in A hownon the'drawings:

such a way'that a skinheadmay be stretched The reference numeral indicates the bot :into position when dry by adjusting the retom of a one piece instrument.constructed 3o .taining' ring by means of said screws. of sheet metal an'd pressed into form to at 'It is furthermore an object of'this in'venford a'fiange or-wa'll 2. The bottom'of the tion to provide a musical instrument such as "body section or casing-is provided with -a a ukulele, a banjo or a drum-with interfitpair of F slotsl'or tone holes3. Rigidly seting ring members adapted to be adjusted cured to the casingv'rim or side wall 2 by 35 with respect to oneanother to permit a head means of'a block 4 and retaining screws-5 1s to be stretched acrossthe opening in one of neck 6con'structed ofwood and havingthe said ring members when the head is'dry outer end shaped to form a-peg head .7. with said head resting on the crown of an ,Mounted on the peg head 7 area plurality of annular bead forming apart of the other pegs 8 to which the upper ends of strings '9 40 f aid ring members. are secured. The strings 9 areconducted It is an important objectof this invention downwardly'over the uppert'ace of the ne'ck toprovide a musical instrument of the uku- 6 above the frets 10 which are mounted lele or banjo type with interfitting top ring transversely of the finger board surface of members provided with adjustable screws said neck 6. The strings-9 are also conduct- 45 and nuts so arranged: that a skinhead may ed-over a bridge 11 with the'l'ower ends of be stretched into position When dry and the said strings engaged in the reduced ends of slack in said head taken up by the adjustkey ho'leslots 12. 1 ment ofsaid screws after the skinhead has The key holeslots 12, in the instrument been in use or when the same needs stretchillustratedare provided in the upper face of i a j j a flanged outer annular ring 13 forming part Other and further important objects of of apressed metal top member.- The top 1 this invention will be apparent from the dismember is constructed ofsheet metal pressed closures in the specification and the accominto form to more an outer flange or rim 14 .panying drawings. integrally formed onthe outer periphery or said-ring portion 13. Integral with the inner periphery of the ring portion 13 is a channel 15, the inner peripheral flange of which is directed upwardly and has the upper margin thereof deflected inwardly at an angle to form a beveled flange 16 forming a ridge or crown 17 at the bight portion. Struck inwardly from the flat ring portion of the channel section of the top member are a plurality of spaced tongues or lugs 18. Riveted or otherwise rigidly secured at in tervals to the bottom surface of the flat ring portion of the channel section 15 of the top member are a plurality of nuts 19. v

A skinhead retaining or stretching ring 20 of channel cross section is provided to coact with the top member and is formed with a plurality of spaced openings to receive retaining screws 21 which project downwardly through the channel ring 15 of the top memher and have threaded engagement with the nuts 19. With the improved top member and retaining ring just described 1t is possible to accomplish a function heretofore impossible in the art of producing skinhead musical instruments. With the improved top member and retaining ring it is possible to stretch a skinhead 22 in position while dry without previous forming on special fixtures which first require wetting of the skinheads. The improved instrument is thus constructed to obviate wetting of skinheads,

.making it possible. to apply a skinhead 22 across the crown or annular ridge 17 of the top member with the peripheral margin of the skinhead provided with a plurality of spaced short radial slots 23 (Figure 4) to permit theretaining screws 21 projecting downwardly through the casing ring20 to project through the skinhead slots 23 to permit engagement with the nuts 19. The outer margin of the skinhead projects into the channel portion 15 of the top member and is adapted to be engaged by the inner peripheral flange. of the retaining ring 20 so that when the screws 21 are threaded downwardly through the nuts 19 the retaining ring will cause the skinhead to be stretched into position with the inner peripheral flange of the retaining ring acting to force portions of the skinhead margin downwardly between the inner peripheral flange of the top channel section 15 and the various tongues or lugs 18 struck from the channel portion 15 as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. It will, of course, be understood that the retaining ring 20 is only forced downwardly into the channel section 15 of the top member a distance sufiicient to tightly stretch the skinhead over the ridge or crown 17 formed by deflecting the beveled margin '16 of the top member. By constructing the top member with the inner peripheral beveled flange 16, the skinhead proper is supported on what might be termed a knife edge rim so that a skinhead of maximum diameter is provided for the instrument.

' By providing the metal top ring 13 with the key hole slots 12 for receiving the lower ends of the ii'istrun'ient strings it will be noted that the use of the ordinary tail pieces is eliminated.

The top member is adapted to be stamped out of sheet metal and is so formed that it may be securely pressed into position by means of a mandrelpress or other suitable hates the use of rivets or other means for securing the top in place.

Figures 5 to 8, inclusive, illustrate a modifled form of musical instrument, in this case comprising a one piece sheet metal casing or body portion 2 1- having a closed bottom with depressions and 26 if desired.

Rigidly secured 'to'the rim or side walls of the casing 24 is a neck portion 25 formed with a peg head 26 carrying pegs 27. Attached to the pegs 27 are the outer ends of strings 28 which are conducted over the neck portion 25 and over a bridge 29 with the lower ends of the stringsengaged in key slots 30. I a

The key slots 30, as illustrated, are formed in spaced relation in a flat ring portion 31 forming a part of a top member. The ring portion 31 is provided with a plurality of spaced tone openin s 32, thereby eliminating the use of F tone s lots in the bottom of the casing or bodysection. Integrally formed on the outer edge or margin of the top ring member 31 is a rim or flange 33, which is adapted to be frictionally engaged on the u p per end of the side walls of the casing The top member also comprises a channel cross sectioned ring 3-twhich is integrally connected with the inner edge or margin of the top ring member 31 and said channel ring has struck therefrom a plurality of spaced tongues or lugs with said lugs pro jecting into the channel ring member. Rivet ed to the bottom faceot the channel ring member 34 between the tongues 35 are nuts 36. The upper margin of the inner flange of the top channel ring member 34 is bent downwardly and inwardly at an angle to form an inclined or beveled flange 37, thereby affording a bead or circular ridge at 38. A skinhead 39 is positioned over the bead 38 with the margin of said skinhead projecting into the channel ring member 34- and having a plurality of radial slots therein to permit retaining screws 4-0 to be projected therethrough and engaged in the nuts 36. The screw; 40 project through spaced apertures"in-astretching or retaining ring 41 which is overachannel' cross sectionwith the flanges of saidretaining ring projecting down "ardly into the channel ring Btot the top nil-ember. By tightening the screws 40, the inner peripheral flange of the retaining ring ll engages the margin oi the skinhead 39 and forces the same downwardly into the pockets a'lorded between the inner flange oi the top ring member 3% and the tongues struck therefrom. With this arrangement it will be noted that the skinhead 39 is placed in position when dry and is stretched into place by means of the retaining ring ll and the screws d0. The skinhead is stretched in place without requiring previous wetting or forming on special. fixtures as has been the practice heretofore. lVhile the improvements embracing the present invention have been illustrated and described as being applied to a musical instrument such as a ukulele or a banjo attention is called to the fact that the improved top member and its retaining rin may be used in connection with the construction of a snare drum or any other musical instru-' ment requiring a stretched skinhead. In the -.case of equipping a snare drum or the like with the present invention both heads of the drum may of course be formed in a similar manner, thereby permitting a drum of simplifled construction to be furnished permitting each of the skinheads to be individually stretched or tightened in place, eliminating the use of the present complicated mech anisms in use on drums of various kinds.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departinglrom the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stringed musical instrument of the class described the combination with a housing, of a grooved top member rigidly secured thereon, a beveled flange formed on the inner periphery of annular ridge, tongues struck from said top member, nuts rigidly secured to said top member between said tongues, a skinhead positioned on. said top member and resting on the annular ridge, a ring interfitting said top member, and screws carried by said member and engaged in-said nuts to force the ring member into the top member against the margin of the skinhead to force the margin of the skinhead into pockets formed by said tongues to cause the skinhead to be stretched into position while dry over said annular ridge.

2. In a stringed musical instrument the combination with a housing, of a top member secured thereon having a plurality of said top member affording an tongues struck theretronna beveled flange integral with said top member and forming flange of the ring i'nember "projecting the margin ot said "skinhead in to pockets formed by said tongues, and; a plurality of screws CM'UGCl by said ring members'and threaded through said nuts to be tightened to cause the ring members to stretch the skinhead while dry over said annular bead.

3. In a stringed musical instrument of the class described the combination with a boss ing, of a pair of interfitting channel rings forming an end for said housing, tongues struck from one of said channel rings and projecting into the other of said channel rings, a beveled flange formed on the channel ring from which the tongues are struck with said beveled flange forming an annular head, a skinhead positioned on said annular bead and having the margin thereof projecting between said channel rings, and adjustable means for adjusting said channel rings with respect to one another to cause the skinhead to be stretched while dry over said annular bead with the marginof said skinhead clamped between said channel rings and against said tongues.

l. In a stringed musical instrument the combination with a stamped metal housing, of a stamped metal top member pressed thereon having a beveled flange integral therewith and tongues Y struck therefrom, nuts rigidly secured to said top members between said tongues, a skinhead supported by said top memberabove the beveled flange, a ring engaging said skinhead and interfitting said top member, and screws carried by said ring and adjustably engaged in said nuts to be adjusted to cause the ring to stretch the skinhead while dry over the beveled flange of said top member.

5. In a stringed musical instrument the combination with apressed metal housing, of a pressed metal grooved top member having a beveled flange and tongues integrally formed thereon, nuts rigidly secured to the top member and projecting into said housing, a skinhead seated on said top member over the beveled flange, a channel cross sectioned ring interfltting with said grooved top member with one of the flanges of said ring engaging the margin of the skinhead to draw said margin over said tongues, and screws carried by said ring and engaged in said nuts toloe tightened to cause the skinhead to be tightly stretched in position while dry with themargin of said skinhead looping into pockets formed by said tongues and one of the walls of said top member.

6. stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a grooved channel ring secured thereon, a beveled flange integrally formed on said grooved channel ring and forming an annular ridge, nuts riveted to said channel ring, a plurality of tongues struck from said channel ring between said nuts, a skinhead seated on said annular ridge With the margin of said skinhead provided With spaced radial slots, a channel retaining ring interfitting said channel ring, and screws carried by said channel retaining ring projecting through the skinhead slots and engaged in said nuts to be adjusted to cause the retaining ring to stretch the skinhead While. dry over said annular ridge with the margin of the skinhead looped to project into pockets formed by said tongues and one of the Walls of said channel ring.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntosubscribed my name.

CLARENCE L. DEWEY. 

